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Forgotteit   M eanings 


CAiSJJORmiiSCB 

I0&AK0-3O 

^?/z  Hour  with  a  Dictionary 


ALFRED     WAITES 

Author  of  "  Tlie  Student 's  Historical  Manual " 


/   Co 


BOSTON 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,   PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK 

CHARLES    T.    DILLINGHAM 

1886 


Copyright,  1S86, 
By  LEE  AND  SHEPARD. 


FOKGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 


E 

Cob.  ^ 
PEEFACE. 


In  collecting  these  Forgotten  Meanings, 
I  have  been  upon  my  guard  against  the  entice- 
ments of  conjectural  etymology,  and  have 
rejected  much  that  was  most  alluring,  bearing 
in  mind  the  warning  afforded  by  Peter  Le 
Loyer,  who  though  he  had  read  more  books, 
perhaps,  than  any  other  man  in  the  world, 
went  raving  mad  about  etymons. 

When  a  skilful  anatomist  observes  the 
action  of  a  pugilist's  biceps,  he  can  calculate 
very  nearly  the  extent  of  its  impetus,  and 
knows  why  an  argument  from  that  source  in- 
variably carries  conviction  with  it:  in  like 
manner,  the  etymologist,  the  dissector  of  lan- 
guage, knows  to  a  nicety  the  degree  of  force 


4  PREFACE. 

with  which  a  muscular  word  will  impinge  upon 
an  intellectual  structure. 

The  anatomist,  too,  becomes  acquainted 
with  peculiar  formations  in  the  human  fabric, 
for  which  he  perceives  no  use,  which  seem  to 
him  a  detriment  rather  ;  and  the  etymologist 
occasionally  finds  in  the  genesis  of  words 
meanings  which  seem  useless,  significations 
which  he  cannot  understand.  Nevertheless, 
in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other,  there  are 
underlying  reasons,  which,  if  only  once  got 
at,  might  explain  many  a  perplexing  fact  con- 
nected with  our  common  history. 

A.  W. 
February,  1886. 


ABBREVIATIONS. 


A.  L.  Andrews's  Latin  Lexicon. 

A.  R.  A.  Adams's  Roman  Antiquities. 

B.  Brewer's  Dictionary  of  Phrase  and  Fable. 

C.  Chambers's  Etymological  Dictionary. 

F.  A.  Fosbroke's  Encyclopaedia  of  Antiquities. 

J.  Johnson's  Dictionary  (first  edition). 

L.  &  S.  Liddell  and  Scott's  Greek  Lexicon. 

P.  Pliny's  Natural  History  (Bobn). 

IV.  Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS; 


AN   HOUR   WITH   A   DICTIONARY. 


ABANDON.  To  abandon,  means  to  desert  your 
colors.     (L.  a,  from;  bandum,  an  ensign.)    B. 

ABJURATION.  "Till  Henry  VIII.,  his  time,  if 
a  man  having  committed  felony,  could  go  into  a 
church,  or  churchyard,  before  he  were  appre- 
hended, he  might  not  be  taken  thence  to  the 
usual  trial  of  law,  but  confessing  his  fault  to 
the  justices,  or  the  coroner,  give  his  oath  to  for- 
sake the  realm  forever,  which  was  called  abjura- 
tion." Ayliffe's  Par.  Jur.  Canonici.    Dr.  Johnson. 

ABOMINATE.  We  should  abominate  a  thing 
when  it  is  ominous  or  portentous  of  evil.  (L. 
abominalus  :  ah,  from;  omen,  ominis,  a  portent.) 

ABOVE-BOARD.  A  figurative  expression,  bor- 
rowed  from    gamesters,    who,  when    they  put 

7 


8  FORGOTTEN    MEANINGS. 

their  hands  under  the  table,  are  changing  their 

cards.  Johnson. 

ABSURD.  A  statement  is  absurd  when  it  is  so 
unreasonable  that  it  can  be  compared  only 
with  the  reply  of  one  who  has  not  distinctly 
heard  what  was  said  to  him.  (L.  ab,  from  ; 
surdus,  deaf.) 

ADIEU  means,  I  commend  you  to  God;  just  as 
Good-by  means,  May  God  be  with  you.  (Fr. 
A  Dieu,  to  God.) 

ADORE.  To  adore,  is  to  raise  the  right  hand  to 
the  lips.     (L.  ad,  to;  os,  oris,  the  mouth.) 

A.  R.  A.,  p.  211. 

AFFORD.  When  one  cannot  afford  to  do  a  thing, 
it  is  because  he  prefers  to  wait  for  a  better 
opportunity,  or  until  the  market-price  has  in- 
creased ;  afford  meaning  to  take  to  the  forum, 
or  market-place.  (L.  ad,  to  ;  forum,  a  market- 
place.) 

AGONY  is  derived  from  agon,  agonis,  a  struggle, 
contest,  or  combat  in  the  public  games  ;  a 
combatant  for  a  prize  being  known  by  the 
name  agonista  ;  his  opponent,  antagonista  ; 
whence  our  word  antagonist. 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  9 

AGHAST.     A  person  is  aghast  when  he  is  as  terri- 
fied as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost.     (A.  S.  gast,  a 
ghost,  or  spirit.) 
ALARM.     To  alarm  your  friends,  means  to  call 

them  to  arms.     (It.  aW  armeJ)  C. 

ALGEBRA.  This  word  we  owe  to  the  Arabs,  who 
named  the  science  el  djaber  el-mo gabelah  :  that 
is  to  say,  the  science  of  restorations  or  of  re- 
establishments,  of  proportions  and  of  solutions, 
by  means  of  the  rule  by  which  they  transfer  or 
re-establish  a  quantity  which  was  negative  and 
which  becomes  positive,  being  transported  or 
re-established  in  the  other  member  of  the 
equation.  Thus  it  is  that  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
in  surgerv,  algebra  was  understood  as  meaning 
the  art  of  restoring  or  of  re-establishing  mem- 
bers which  were  dislocated  or  fractured  ;  and 
to  this  day,  in  Spanish  and  in  Portuguese,  ahje- 
brista  signifies  a  surgeon,  or  bone-setter. 

"Ce  mot  (Algebre)  est  du  aussi  aux  Arabes 
qui  avaient  nomine  cette  science  el  djaber  el- 
mogabelah  ;  c'est  a  dire,  la  science  des  restaunitions 
ou  des  re'tablissements,  des  proportions  et  des 
solutions,  en  vertu  de  la  regie  par  laquelle  on 


10  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

opere  le  passage  ou  le  re'tablissement  d'une  quan- 
tity qui  etait  negative  et  qui  devient  positive, 
etant  transported  ou  retablie  dans  l'autre  mem- 
bre  de  l'equation.  C'est  pourquoi,  au  moyen 
age,  en  chirurgie,  algebre  voulait  dire  l'art  de 
restaurer  ou  de  retablir  les  membres  demis 
ou  fractures  ;  et  aujourd'hui  me  me  en  espagnol 
et  en  portugais,  algebrista  signifie  chirurgien." 
Cicriosites  Philologiques,  etc.,  p.  93.  Paris,  1855. 
ALLUDE  is  in  danger  of  losing  its  peculiar  signifi- 
cation, which  is  delicate  and  serviceable,  by 
being  used  as  a  fine-sounding  synonyme  of  say 
or  mention.  The  honorable  gentleman  from 
the  State  of  Kokeeko,  speaking  of  the  honor- 
able gentleman  from  the  same  State,  denounces 
him  as  a  drunken  vagabond  and  a  traitor  to 
his  party.  The  latter  rises,  and  says  that  his 
colleague  has  alluded  to  him  in  terms  just  fit 
for  such  a  scoundrelly  son  of  a  poorhouse  drab 
to  use,  but  that  he  hurls  back  the  honorable 
gentleman's  allusions,  and  so  forth,  and  so 
forth.  The  spectacle  is  a  sad  one  to  gods  and 
men,  and  also  to  all  who  have  respect  for  the 
English  language.      For,  whatever  may  have 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  11 

been  the  case  with  the  other  words,  allude  and 
allusion  were  used  in  their  Kokeekokian,  cer- 
tainly not  in  their  English,  sense.  Allude  (from 
hub,  ludere,  to  play)  means  to  indicate  jocosely, 
to  hint  at  playfully,  and  so  to  hint  at  in  a 
slight,  passing  manner. 

Words  and  Their  Uses,  p.  90.    N.Y.,  1870. 

AMBITIOUS  ASPIRANT.  The  aspirant,  or  can- 
didate, should  be  a  clean  man ;  should  wear  a 
white  robe  (candidus),  emblem  of  purity,  as  did 
the  office-seekers  of  ancient  Rome ;  and,  like 
them,  lie  is  ambitious  when  he  (joes  about  seeking 
votes  for  his  own  election.  (L.  ambi,  about ;  eo, 
itum,  to  go.) 

AMETHYST.  So  named  because  it  was  thought 
to  be  a  preventive  of  drunkenness.  (Gr.  a, 
without;  methyo,  to  be  drunken.)  C. 

AMMONIA.  So  called  because  it  was  first  obtained 
near  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Amnion. 

ANTENN/E.     Sail-yards.  A.  L. 

ANTIMONY.  Webster  says  that  this  word  is  most 
probably  a  corruption  of  the  Arabic  al-ilhmidun, 
antimony  ;  but  Dr.  Johnson  has  the  following  : 
"  The  stibium  of  the  ancients.     The  reason  for 


12  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

its  modern  denomination  is  referred  to  Basil 
Valentine,  a  German  monk,  who,  as  tradition 
relates,  having  thrown  some  of  it  to  the  hogs, 
observed  that,  after  it  had  purged  them  heartily, 
they  immediately  fattened;  and  thereupon  he 
imagined  his  fellow-monks  would  be  the  better 
for  a  like  dose.  The  experiment,  however,  suc- 
ceeded so  ill  that  they  all  died  of  it ;  and  the 
medicine  was  thenceforward  called  anti-moine, 
—  anti-monk." 

APOTHECARY,  from  apothecce,  by  which  name  the 
wine-lofts  of  the  ancients  were  known.     Pliny. 

Etymology  still  indicates  the  principal  busi- 
ness of  the  apothecary,  though  the  exigencies  of 
modern  civilization  have  required  the  removal 
of  the  wine-room  from  the  top  of  the  building 
to  the  back  of  the  store. 

APPRECIATE.  To  estimate  at  a  price.  (L. 
appretio.') 

ARENA,  (L.  arena,  a  sandy  place.)  The  place 
where  the  gladiators  fought  was  called  an  na 
because  it  was  covered  with  sand  or  sawdust 
to  r>revent  the  gladiators  from  sliding,  and  to 
absorb  the  blood.  A.  li.  A.,  p.  231. 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  13 

ASSERTION.     A  judicial  (or  formal)  declaration 
that  one  is  a  freeman  or  a  slave.     (L.  assertio.) 

A.  L. 

ASTONISHED.     Lit.  thunder-struck.     (L.  ad,  at; 

tono,  to  thunder.) 
ASTROLOGY.      Some  idea  may  perhaps  be  con- 
ceived of  the  power  which  this  pseudo-science 
once   possessed,  if  we  will  observe  the  tracks 
which  it  has  left  in  the  language  itself. 

A  disaster  was  the  blast  or  stroke  of  some 
unpropitious  star.  (L.  dis,  negative,  and  as- 
trum;  Gr.  astron,  aster,  a  star.)  Influenza  was 
occasioned  by  a  malign  stellar  influence.  Sat- 
urday was  sacred  to  Saturn,  Sunday  to  the 
sun.  and  Monday  to  the  moon.  Human  beings 
were  fortunate  or  lucky,  rather  than  deserving. 
The  weak-minded  were  under  the  influence  of 
the  moon  (Luna,  lunatics).  He  who  was  born 
under  Mars  was  devoted  to  the  army.  They 
who  were  born  under  Saturn  were  consequently 
saturnine.  The  sprightly  man  was  born  under 
Mercury,  and  was  therefore  mercurial ;  while 
the  fortunate  possessed  jovial  temperaments, 
because,  being  born  under  the  planet  Jupiter, 


14  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

they  were  favored  with  the  immediate  protec- 
tion of  Jove  himself.  The  dog-days,  too,  were 
a  time  of  peculiar  discomfort ;  because  Sirius 
was  in  the  ascendant,  whose  mischief-working 
powers  are  thus  graphically  described  by  one  of 
the  early  writers  :  — 

"  Who  is  there  that  does  not  know  that  the 
vapor  of  the  sun  is  kindled  by  the  rising  of  the 
dog-star?  The  most  powerful  effects  are  felt 
from  this  star.  When  it  rises,  the  seas  are 
troubled,  the  wines  in  our  cellars  ferment,  and 
stagnant  waters  are  set  in  motion.  There  is  a 
wild  beast,  named  by  the  Egyptians  Oryx, 
which,  when  the  star  rises,  is  said  to  stand 
opposite  to  it,  to  look  steadfastly  at  it,  and  then 
to  sneeze,  as  if  it  were  worshipping  it.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  dogs,  during  the  whole  of 
this  period,  are  peculiarly  disposed  to  become 
rabid."  Pliny,  ii.,  c.  xl. 

AUSPICIOUS.  Favorable  augury  from  the  flight 
of  birds.     (L.  avis,  a  bird;  specio,  to  observe.) 

AUSTERE,  to  be,  is  to  make  the  tongue  dry  and 
rough.  Thus,  the  notorious  Judge  Jeffreys  was 
austere  when  he  reviled  the  unfortunates  who 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  15 

were  brought  before  him,  giving  them,  as  he 
said,  "  a  lick  with  the  rough  side  of  his  tongue." 
AWKWARD.     Left-handed.     (Old  Eng.  awk,  left; 
icard,  indicating  direction.) 

BALLAD.  •  A  song  sung  while  dancing.  (It.  bal- 
lata,  ballare,  to  dance.)  Du  Cange  deduces  it 
from  the  "  Balisterou  "  of  Vopiscus,  a  song  ac- 
companied with  dancing.  An  old  chronicle  of 
Milan  says  the  players  used  to  sing  of  Roland 
and  Oliver,  and  turned  themselves  about  with 
a  becoming  motion  of  the  body.     F.  A.,  ii.  594. 

BALLOT.  A  little  ball,  such  as  is  used  for  voting 
in  lodges,  etc.  ;  a  white  ball  being  favorable  to 
the  admission  of  a  candidate,  a  black  ball 
unfavorable  ;  hence  blackballed,  meaning  re- 
jected. 

BAN.  A  proclamation  or  interdiction.  (Fr. 
ban.) 

BANDIT.  One  Z»a?nshed,  or  proclaimed  beyond  the 
laws'  protection ;  an  outlaw.     (Fr.  ban-dit.) 

BANK.     A  bench.     (Fr.  banc  ;  It.  banco.) 

BANKER.  One  who  displays  goods  on  a  bench 
for  sale. 


16  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

BANKRUPT.  One  whose  bench  or  business  is 
broken  up.     (Bank,  and  L.  ruptus,  broken.) 

BARBARIAN.  Sophocles,  in  "The  Maidens  of 
Trachis,"  refers  (v.  1060)  to  a  foreign  country 
as  "the  land  of  men  that  speak  not,"  because 
the  ancientGreeks  thought  that  the  non-Hellenic 
peoples  had  no  intelligible  language,  and  hence 
denominated  them  barbarians,  from  bar-bar,  the 
imitation  of  an  unintelligible  utterance. 

BEAD,  in  A.  S.,  means  a  prayer:  the  word  was 
afterwards  transferred  to  the  little  balls,  pierced 
and  strung,  which  are  used  by  Roman  Catholics 
to  assist  the  memory  in  retaining  the  number 
of  prayers  recited.  As  connected  with  prayers, 
rosaries  of  them  are  found  among  the  Lares  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians  in  the  catacombs,  and  are 
common  in  India,  China,  etc.  F.A.,i.22&. 

BEADROLL.  The  list  of  those  prayed  for.  The 
king's  enemies  were  thus  cursed  byname  in  the 
bead-roll  at  Paul's.     Bacon's  Hist.  Iknnj  VII.,  p.  72. 

BEADSMAN.  One  who  prays  for  the  welfare  of 
another. 

"  Commend  thy  grievance  to  my  holy  prayers, 
For  I  will  be  thy  beadsman,  Valentine." 

Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona,  Act  i.,  Sc.  1. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  17 

BEEF-EATER.  Some  of  the  officers  in  the  Tower 
of  London  are  so  called,  whose  duty  it  was, 
originally,  to  stand  by  the  buffet,  or  sideboard, 
to  attend  to  the  wants  of  those  requiring  refresh- 
ment.    (A  corr.  of  Fr.  buffetier.)      F.A.,\.ZW. 

BELDAM.  A  hag;  originally  the  reverse  of  its 
present  meaning,  i.e.,  Fr.  belle  dame,  fair  lady. 

BIB.  From  the  Latin  bibo,  to  drink ;  because  the 
bib  drinks  up  the  liquid  spilled  by  the  child. 

BIBLE.  They  write  also  in  the  leaves  of  certain 
reeds,  which  Isaiah  called  papyr  reeds  (Isa.  ix. 
7),  growing  in  the  marshes  of  Egypt,  which 
reed,  or  sedge,  is  called  Biblus  or  Byblos ;  so 
Lucan,  — 

"  Nondum  fluruineas  Memphis  contexere  biblos, 
Noverat,"  — 

which  the  translator  doth  English,  paper. 
From  which  term  or  name  of  Biblos,  books 
are  by  the  Greeks  called  Biblio  and  Biblia,  and 
that  Book  of  books,  the  Bible;  because  books 
were  usually  made  of  this  kind  of  reed,  or 
Sedge.  PMlobiblion,  i.  151. 

In  the  same  way,  a  strip  of  papyrus-bark  was 
termed  sckeda,  dim.  schedula;  whence  our  word 
schedule.  A.  L. 


18  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS 

BISCUIT.  Bread  twice  baked.  (L.  bis,  twice; 
Fr.  cult,  from  coquo,  coctus,  to  bake.)  C. 

BLACKMAIL.  Money  paid  to  robbers,  or  those 
allied  to  robbers,  for  protection.  Its  modern 
synonyme  is  retainer. 

BLOOD-STONE.  "There  is  a  stone  which  they 
call  the  blood-stone,  which,  worn,  is  thought  to 
be  good  for  them  that  bleed  at  the  nose ;  which, 
no  doubt,  is  by  astriction  and  cooling  of  the 

spirits."  Bacon,  quoted  by  Dr.  Johnson. 

BOA.  A  large  serpent,  which  was  supposed  to 
suck  milk  from  cows ;  hence  its  name  boa,  from 
L.  bos,  bovis.  Pliny,  viii.,  c.  4. 

BOGUS.  From  Borghese,  a  rascal  who  swindled 
many  persons  in  the  United  States  by  means  of 
counterfeit  bills.  B. 

BOOK.  From  Ger.  buch,  a  book.  The  runes 
were  cut  in  soft  wood,  particularly  in  that  of 
the  beech  (Ger.  buch)  tree,  whence  came  the 
name.  Menzel,  Gesch.  d.  Deulschen,i.  66. 

BRIBE,  "in  French,  originally  signified  a  piece 
of  bread,  and  so  applied  to  any  piece  taken 
from  the  rest :  it  is  therefore  likely  that  a  bribe 
formerly  meant  a  share  of  any  thing  unjustly 
got.''  J. 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  19 

BUB.  A  name  by  which  boys  are  familiarly 
addressed,  and  which  is  probably  derived  from 
the  Ger.  bube,  a  boy. 

BUCCANEER.  One  who  smokes  meat.  The 
French  settlers  in  the  West  Indies  cooked  their 
meat  on  a  houcan,  or  gridiron,  after  the  manner 
of  the  natives,  and  were  hence  called  bouca- 
niers.  c. 

BUCK=  The  butting  animal;  from- A.  S.  but;  a 
knock. 

CALAMITY.  A  storm  or  any  thing  that  breaks 
or  beats  down  the  reeds  or  stalks  of  grain  ;  from 
L.  calamus,  a  reed.  a.  l. 

CALCULATE.  To  count  by  the  aid  of  small 
stones;  from  L.  calculus,  dim.  of  calx,  a  little 
stone.  a.  L. 

CANTER.  "  Probably  derived  from  the  monks  rid- 
ing to  Canterbury  on  easy-ambling  horses.'-   J. 

CAPRICIOUS.  Jumping  about  like  a  goat;  from 
L.  caper,  a  goat ;  hence,  "  to  cut  a  caper." 

CAROTID.  Gr.  karotides,  karos,  sleep;  deep  sleep 
being  occasioned  by  a  compression  of  these 
arteries.  c. 


20  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

CAUSEWAY.  A  way  raised  and  paved,  or  shod, 
with  stone.  (Fr.  chausse'e,  from  chausser,  to 
shoe.)  C. 

CAUCUS.  "It  is  stated  on  the  authority  of  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Gordon,  the  historian,  that  in 
1721  Samuel  Adams  the  elder,  and  about  twenty 
others,  and  one  or  two  from  the  north  end  of 
the  town  [Boston],  where  all  the  shipping  busi- 
ness was  carried  on,  used  to  meet  and  lay  their 
plans  for  introducing  certain  persons  to  places 
of  power  and  trust.  From  this  club  of  ship- 
building mechanics  (or  calkers)  comes  the  word 
caucus."  McMasters1  Hist.,  i.  178  (note). 

CEMETERY.  A  sleeping-chamber.  This  name 
was  given  to  their  burial-places  by  the  early 
Christians,  who  were  fond  of  comparing  death 
to  a  sleep.     (Gr.  koimeterion,  koimao,  to  lull  to 

sleep.)       Eusebius,  Ecel.  Hist.,  Bohn  ed.,  p.  266  (note). 

CHANCE-MEDLEY.  A  hot  affray;  the  killing  of 
a  person  by  chance,  or  in  self-defence.  (Fr. 
chaude,  hot ;  melee,  affray.) 

CHANCELLOR.  A  door-keeper.  (L.  cancellarius.) 
The  Roman  emperor  Carinus  intrusted  the 
government  of  the  city  to  one  of  his  door-keep- 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  21 

ers  (cancelldrius).  This  word,  so  humble  in  its 
origin,  has  by  a  singular  fortune  risen  into  the 
title  of  the  first  great  office  of  state  in  the  mon- 
archies of  Europe. 

Gibbon,  Decline  and  Fall,  i.  415  and  note 

The  Lord  Chancellor  of  England  has,  from 
time  immemorial,  been  charged  with  the  im- 
portant function  of  "  Keeper  of  the  King's  Con- 
science :  "  the  reason  is  thus  given  by  Lord 
Campbell  (in  his  "  Lives  of  the  Lord  Chancel- 
lors," i.  p.  4)  :  — 

0  From  the  conversion  of  the  Anglo-Saxons 
to  Christianity  by  the  preaching  of  St.  Augus- 
tine, the  king  had  always  near  his  person  a 
priest,  to  whom  was  intrusted  the  care  of  his 
chapel,  and  who  was  his  confessor.  This  per- 
son, selected  from  the  most  learned  and  able  of 
his  order,  and  greatly  superior  in  accomplish- 
ments to  the  unlettered  laymen  attending  the 
court,  soon  acted  as  private  secretary  to  the 
king,  and  gained  his  confidence  in  affairs  of 
state.  The  present  demarcation  between  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  employments  was  then  little 
regarded,  and  to  this  same  person  was  assigned 


22  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

the  business  of  superintending;  writs  and  grants, 
with  the  custody  of  the  Great  Seal." 

CHARACTER.  (L.  character.)  An  instrument 
for  branding' or  marking.  A.  L. 

CHEAP.  Derived  from  chepe,  cheping,  which  is 
an  old  word  for  market,  whence  Eastcheap  and 
Cheapside.  J- 

CHECKMATE.     Pers.  Shah  mat,  the  king  is  dead. 

CLIMACTERIC.  This  term  means,  literally,  "in- 
creasing by  a  regular  scale,"  or,  "  according  to  a 
proportional  series  of  numbers."  The  multiples 
of  seven  have  been  generally  supposed  to  be  the 
critical  periods  of  human  life,  and  more  espe- 
cially sixty-three,  or  nine  times  seven,  which 
was  accordingly  termed  "the  grand  climac- 
teric." Pliny,  b.  vii.  c.  50,  note. 

COBALT.  Ger.  kohold,  a  devil.  The  demon  of 
the  mines,  so  called  because  the  German  miners 
thought  that  its  presence  indicated  the  absence 
of  more  valuable  metals. 

COCAGNE.     The  land  of  cookery  and  good  living. 

COCKNEY.  The  land  of  cockneys.  (From  L. 
coquo,  to  cook) 

"  And  whan  this  jape  is  told  another  day, 
I  shall  be  halden  a  daffe  or  a  cokenay." 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  23 

That  this  is  a  term  of  contempt  borrowed 
originally  from  the  kitchen,  is  very  probable. 
A  cook,  in  the  base  Latinity,  was  called  coquina- 
tor  and  coquinarius,  from  either  of  which  cokenay 
might  easily  be  derived.    In  pp.  fol   xxxv   0, — 

"  And  yet  I  say  by  my  soule  I  have  no  salt  bacon, 
Ne  no  cokeney,  by  Christe,  coloppes  to  make,"— 

it  seems  to  signify  a  cook.      In  these  rhymes 

ascribed  to  Hugh   Bigot,    which    Camden  has 

published,  Brit.  Col.,  451  (upon  what  authority 

I  know  not),  — 

"  Were  I  in  my  castle  of  Bungey, 
Upon  the  river  of  Waveney, 
I  would  ne  care  for  King  of  Coekeney,"  — 

the  author,  in  calling  London  Coekeney,  might 
possibly  allude  to  that  imaginary  kingdom  of 
Idleness  and  Luxury  which  was  anciently 
known  by  the  name  of  "Cokaigne,"  or  Cocagne, 
a  name  which  Hicks  has  shown  to  be  derived 
from  coquina. 

TyrwhiWs  Note,  Chaucer,  The  Here's  Tale,  lines  1204-6. 

COCOA.  A  bugbear;  applied  to  the  nut  from 
the  three  marks  at  the  end,  which  form  a 
monkey-like  face.     (Sp.  coco,  a  bugbear.) 


24  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

CODEX.  The  trunk  of  a  tree  ;  later,  wooden  tab- 
lets, bound  together  and  covered  with  wax,  for 
writing  on. 

CODICIL.     From  L.  codicillus,  the  dim.  of  codex. 

COKE.     Cooked  coal.   . 

COLPORTEUR.  One  who  carries  on  his  neck.  (L. 
col,  collum,  the  neck,  and^or/e?-,  portare,  to  carry.) 

COMPLAIN.  To  beat  the  head  and  breast  in 
token  of  grief.     (L.  complangere.')  A.  L. 

CONCISE.     Cut  down.      (L.  concisus.') 

CONCUR.     To  run  together.  (L.  con,  curro.) 

CONSTABLE.  Count  of  the  stable.  (L.  comes, 
stabuli.) 

CONTEMPLATE.  To  gaze  at  attentively,  as  if 
marking  out  a  templum,  or  place  for  observa- 
tion. C.     A.Ii.A. 

CONVERSE.  To  turn  round  frequently.  (L. 
con,  verso.) 

COPPER.  So  named  from  the  Island  of  Cyprus, 
once  celebrated  for  its  copper-mines.  (L.  cu- 
prum; Gr.  kupros.) 

CORIANDER.  An  annual  plant,  the  seeds  of 
which,  when  fresh,  have  a  bug-like  smell.  (L. 
coriandrum,  from  Gr.  koris,  a  bug.)  C. 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  25 

COUCH.  A  convulsion  of  the  lungs,  vellicated  by 
some  sharp  serosity.  J 

COUSINS.  All  gentlemen  are  cousins,  and  all 
villains  chums.  "  Tous  gentilhommes  sont 
cousins,  et  tous  vilains  comperes." 

Dict'.onnaire  Portatif  des  Proverbes  Franqois,  p.  "4. 

CRANBERRY.  Crane-berry,  from  its  growing  on 
a  stalk  resembling  the  legs  and  neck  of  a 
crane.  C. 

CR'JISE.  Fr  croise,  from  the  original  cruisers,  who 
bore  the  cross,  and  plundered  only  infidels.    J. 

CURMUDGEON.  A  corn-mud  gin,  a  corruption  of 
corn-merchant,  because  they  were  supposed  to 
keep  up  the  price  of  corn  by  their  avarice. 

When  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  was  working 
upon  his  celebrated  dictionary  of  the  English 
language,  he  requested  any  of  the  readers  of 
"The  Gentleman's  Magazine  "  to  send  him,  if 
they  knew,  the  etymology  of  the  word  cur- 
mudgeon. The  response  was  not  long  delayed, 
and  he  placed  in  his  dictionary  the  information 
which  he  had  received  :  "Curmudgeon,  n.s.  [It 
is  a  vitious  manner  of  pronouncing  ca  ur 
me'chani.      Fr.    an    unknown   correspondent.]  " 


2G  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

That  phrase  was  thus  copied  in  another  English 
dictionary :  "  Curmudgeon,  from  the  French 
words,  cceur  (unknown)  and  mediant  (corre- 
spondent)." 

Curiositfo  Litteraires,  i>.  268,  par  I.udovic  LaUmne. 

CURRANT.     Corinth  raisin. 

CURTAIL.  (L.  curio.)  It  was  anciently  written 
curia!,  which,  perhaps,  is  more  proper  ;  but  dogs 
that  had  their  tails  cut  being  called  curled  dogs, 
the  word  was  vulgarly  conceived  to  mean  origi- 
nally to  cut  the  tail,  and  was  in  time  written 
according  to  that  notion.  J- 

DAINTY.  Toothsome.  From  L.  dens,  dentis,  a 
tooth.  C. 

DAISY.  So  called  from  its  likeness  to  the  sun, — 
day's  eye. 

DANDELION.  The  lion's  tooth;  so  called  from 
the  tooth-like  edges  of  its  leaf.  (Fr.  dent-de- 
lion.)  C- 

DECUSSATE.  To  cross  in  the  form  of  X;  from 
L  decussis,  elecem  asses,  ten  units,  making  the 
Roman  numeral  X. 


FORGOTTF.N    MEANINGS.  2i 

DERRICK.  A  temporary  crane  to  remove  goods 
from  the  hold  of  a  vessel.  So  called  from  Der- 
rick, the  Tyburn  hangman,  early  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  who  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years  gave  his  name  to  gibbets.  B. 

DESPOT.  Master  of  the  house.  (Gr.  despotes.) 
"II  (Scanderbeg)  etait  his  d'un  despote,  ou 
d'un  petit  hospodar,  de  cette  contre"e  ;  c'est-a- 
dire,  d'un  prince  vassal,  car  c'est  ce  qui  signifiait 
despote;  ce  mot  vent  dire  a  la  lettre,  maitre  de 
maison  ;  et  il  est  etrange  que  Ton  ait  depuis 
affecte  le  mot  de  despotique  aux  grands  souve- 
rains  que  se  sont  rendus  absolus." 

Voltaire,  Essai  sicr  les  Afoeurs,  ch.  xc. 
lie  (Scanderbeg)  was  the  son  of  a  despot,  or 
little  hospodar,  of  that  country  ;  that  is  to  say, 
of  a  subordinate  prince,  for  that  is  the  mean- 
ing of  despot ;  it  literally  signifies,  mauler  of  (he 
house;  and  it  is  singular  that  the  word  despotic 
should  now  be  applied  to  great  sovereigns  who 
have  made  themselves  absolute. 

DEXTERITY.  Right-handedness;  from  L.  dexter, 
Gr.  dexios,  right.  The  peculiar  significance  of 
this  word  is  better  appreciated  if  we  contrast  it 


28  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

with  sinister  (left),  to  the  meaning  of  which  still 
clings  the  idea  of  malevolent  fatality  ;  which 
may  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the 
ancient  Greeks,  when  offering  sacrifice,  believed 
that  an  omen  upon  the  right  or  dexter  hand  was 
indicative  of  success,  while  an  omen  upon  the 
left  or  sinister  hand  betokened  misfortune. 

DIPHTHERIA.  From  Gr.  diphthera,  a  piece  of 
leather.  A  disease  of  the  air-passages,  espe- 
cially the  throat,  by  which  they  are  covered 
with  a  leathery-like  membrane.  C. 

DIPLOMA.  A  letter  of  recommendation,  so  called 
because  it  consisted  of  two  leaves.  (Gr.  diploma, 
a  letter  folded  double.)  ft 

DISAPPOINT.  Properly,  the  word  disappoint  pre- 
supposes an  appointment,  and  the  failure  on 
the  part  of  one  or  more  to  keep  that  appoint- 
ment disajijioints  those  who  have  been  punctual. 

DISMAL.     An  evil  day.     (L.  dies  malus.) 

DISTRICT.  A  territory  within  which  a  superior 
had  a  right  to  distrain,  or  otherwise  exercise 
authority.     (L.  districtus,  dislrinr/o.)  ft 

DOG-ROSE,  or  Wild-Brier.  Down  to  our  times, 
the  bite  of  a  mad  dog,  the  symptoms  of  which 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  29 

are  a  dread  of  water  and  an  aversion  to  every 
kind  of  beverage,  was  incurable ;  and  it  was 
only  recently  that  the  mother  of  a  soldier  who 
was  serving  in  the  praetorian  guard  received  a 
warning  in  a  dream,  to  send  her  son  a  root  of 
the  wild-rose,  a  plant  the  beauty  of  which  had 
attracted  her  attention  in  the  shrubbery  the 
day  before,  and  to  request  him  to  drink  the 
extract  of  it.  The  army  was  then  serving  in 
Lacetania,  a  part  of  Spain  which  lies  north-west 
of  Italy;  and  it  so  happened  that  the  soldier, 
having  been  bitten  by  a  dog,  was  just  beginning 
to  manifest  a  horror  of  water,  when  his  mother's 
letter  reached  him,  in  which  she  entreated  him 
to  obey  the  words  of  this  divine  warning.  He 
accordingly  complied  with  her  request;  and, 
against  all  hope  or  expectation,  his  life  was 
saved,  —  a  result  which  has  been  experienced  by 
all  who  have  since  availed  themselves  of  the 
same  resource.  Pliny,  xxv.  6. 

DUNCE.  Duns  Scotus  was  the  leader  of  those 
schoolmen  who  opposed  the  study  of  the  class- 
ics, at  the  time  of  the  revival  of  learning; 
hence  his  followers  were  called  dunses.     C.   B. 


30  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

ELIMINATE.  To  turn  out  of  doors.  (L.  e,  out 
of;  limen,  limit/is,  a  threshold.) 

EMOLUMENT.  An  allowance  of  meal  (L.  mola) 
as  a  salary. 

ENCROACH.  (Fr.  accrocher,  from  croc,  a  hook.) 
To  put  a  hook  into  a  man's  possessions,  to 
draw  them  away.  J- 

ENTHUSIAST.  One  who  believes  that  he  himself 
is  in  God,  or  that  God  is  in  him.  (Gr.  en 
theos.)  B. 

ESTIMATE.    To  reckon  the  money-value  of.     A.  L. 

ETIQUETTE.  A  ticket  on  which  the  forms  to  be 
observed  at  court  on  particular  occasions  were 
inscribed.     (Old  Fr.  eslicquette,  a  lab«l.)       C. 

EVICT.  To  conquer  completely.  (L.  evinco,  evictus.) 

EXACT.  Pressed  out  to  a  standard  or  measure. 
(L.  exactus,  p.p.  exigo,  to  drive  out,  to  measure.) 

EXAMINE.  To  test  by  a  balance.  (L.  examen, 
the  tongue  of  a  balance.)  C. 

EXCISE.  (Accijis,  Dutch;  excisum,  Latin.)  A 
hateful  tax  levied  upon  commodities,  adjudged, 
not  by  the  common  judges  of  property,  but 
wretches  hired  by  those  to  whom  the  excise  is 
paid.  J- 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  31 

EXCRUCIATING  pain,  resembling  that  suffered 
by  a  person  crucified.     (L.  crux,  cruris,  a  cross.) 

EXECRATE.  To  exclude  from  all  that  is  sacred. 
(L.  exsecror,  execratus,  to  curse  ;  ex,  from,  and 
sacer,  sacred.)  c- 

EXORDIUM.  The  warp  of  the  web;  the  begin- 
ning.    (L.  exordior,  to  begin  a  web.)        A.  L. 

EXPEDITE.  To  free  the  feet  from  a  snare  or  im- 
jr>ert7:nent.  (L.  expeditus  ;  ex,  out,  and  pes,  pedis, 
a  foot.)  A-  L- 

EXPECT  is  very  widely  misused  on  both  sides  of 
the  water,  in  the  sense  of  suppose,  think,  guess. 
E.g.,  "I  expect  you  had  a  pretty  hard  time  of 
it  yesterday."  Expect  refers  only  to  that  which 
is  to  come,  and  which,  therefore,  is  looked  for 
(ex,  out,  and  spectare,  to  look).  We  cannot 
expect  backward.         Words  and  Their  Unes,  p.  112. 

EXPIATE.  To  annul  guilt  by  subsequent  acts  of 
piety.  (L.  expio,  explains ;  '.''.  intens.  and  pio, 
to  appease,  atone  for:  pius,  pious.)  C. 

EXPLODE.  (L.  explodo.)  To  drive  out  disgrace- 
fully, with  some  noise  of  contempt. 

"  Him  old  and  young 
Exploded,  and  had  seized  with  violent  hands, 
Had  not  a  cloud  descending  snatch' d  him  thence 
Unseen  amid  the  throng."    Paradise  Lost,  b.  xi.    J. 


32  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

EXQUISITE.  Sought  out  with  great  care.  (L. 
ear,  out ;  qucero,  quesitus,  to  seek  diligently.)    C. 

FANATIC.  One  inspired  by  a  divinity.  From  L. 
fanus,  a  fane  or  temple.  a.  l. 

FELONY.  Many  may  not  be  aware  that  felony  is 
derived  from  an  idea  that  felons  are  prompted 
by  an  excess  of  gall.  Felonies  were  crimes 
committed  felleo  animo,  with  a  mind  affected  by 
the  gall;  and  Hale  was  of  opinion  that  the  reason 
why  a  lunatic  cannot  be  guilty  of  a  crime,  is  a 
Want  of  gall.  Allibone,  Quo.,  Sec.  Laic,  p.  403. 

FOOLSCAP.  Size  of  paper,  17|  x  13}  inches;  so 
called  from  having  originally  borne  the  water- 
mark of  a  fool's  cap  and  bells.  a 

FORECASTLE  of  a  ship.  So  called  from  a  small 
castle  near  the  prow  in  ancient  vessels.  C. 

FOREIGN.  Out  of  doors.  (L.  foraneus,  foras, 
out  of  doors.)  A.  L. 

FROG  of  a  horse  ;  from  its  likeness  to  the  leg  of 
a  frog.  c. 

GARBLE  properly  means,  to  sift  out  refuse.  Thus 
by  the  statute  of  James  I.,   19,  a  penalty   is 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  33 

tmposed  on  the  sale  of  drugs  not  garbled.  We 
now  use  the  word  to  mean  a  mutilated  extract, 
in  which  the  sense  of  the  author  is  perverted 
by  what  is  omitted.  (Fr.  garber,  to  make 
clean.)  B. 

GAZETTE.  It.  gazzetta,  a  Venetian  coin  worth 
about  %d.,  the  sum  charged  for  a  reading  of 
the  first  Venetian  newspaper,  a  written  sheet 
which  appeared  about  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  during  the  war  with  Soli- 
man  II.  C. 

GENTLEMAN.  In  the  beginning  of  Christian- 
ity, the  Fathers  writ  contra  genles,  and  contra 
Gentiles:  they  were  all  one.  But,  after  all  were 
Christians,  the  better  sort  of  people  still  retained 
the  name  of  Gentiles  throughout  the  four  Prov- 
inces of  the  Roman  Empire  ;  as  Gentil-homme  in 
French,  Gentil-huomo  in  Italian,  Gentil-hombre  in 
Spanish,  and  Gentil-man  in  English. 

8elJen'»  Table  Talk,  p.  159.     London,  1S60. 

GROTESQUE  means  in  "  Grotto  style."  Classical 
ornaments,  so  called,  were  found  in  the  thir- 
teenth century  in  grottos,  that  is,  excavations 
made  in  the  baths  of  Titus,  and  in  other  Roman 


34  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

buildings.  These  ornaments  abound  in  fan- 
ciful combinations;  hence  any  thing  outre  is 
termed  grotesque.  B. 

GYMNASTICS.  Athletic  games.  The  word  is 
from  gymnasium,  a  public  place  set  apart  in 
Greece  for  athletic  sports,  which  were  done 
naked.     (Gr.  gumnos,  naked.)  £. 

HERETIC  means  one  who  chooses;  and  heresy 
simply  a  choice.     (Gr.  hairlses,  choice.) 

HUMANITARIAN  is  very  strangely  perverted  by 
a  certain  class  of  speakers  and  writers.  It  is  a 
theological  word ;  and  its  original  meaning  is, 
one  who  denies  the  Godhead  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  insists  upon  his  human  nature. 

Words  and  Their  Uses,  p.  127. 

HUSSAR.  Originally  a  soldier  of  the  national 
cavalry  of  Hungary.  Him.  huszar,  husz,  twenty, 
because  at  one  time  in  Hungary  .one  cavalry 
soldier  used  to  be  levied  from  every  twenty 
families.  C. 

HYACINTH.  Hyacinthus,  a  son  of  Amyclas  and 
Diomede,  greatly  beloved  by  Apollo  and 
Zephyrus.       He    was    accidentally    killed    by 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  35 

Apollo,  who  changed  his  blood  into  the  flower 
which  bears  his  name. 

HALCYON  is  the  Greek  for  a  kingfisher,  com- 
pounded of  hals  (the  sea)  and  kuo  (to  brood  on). 
The  ancient  Sicilians  believed  that  the  king- 
fisher laid  its  eggs  and  incubated  for  fourteen 
days,  before  the  winter  solstice,  on  the  surface 
of  the  sea,  during  which  time  the  waves  of  the 
sea. were  always  unruffled.  B. 

HENCHMAN.  Haunch-man;  one  who  stands  at 
his  master's  haunch.  C. 

IMBECILE.  Leaning  on  a  staff.  (L.  in,  upon; 
bacillum,  dim.  of  bacuhtm,  a  staff  )  C. 

IMMOLATE.  To  put  meal  on  one.  Reference 
being  made  to  the  ancient  custom  of  sprinkling 
meal  and  salt  on  the  head  of  the  victim  to  be 
offered  in  sacrifice.     (L.  in  nmla.)  /:. 

INAUGURATE  means  to  be  led  in  by  augurs.  The 
Roman  augurs  met  at  their  college-doors  the 
high  officials  about  to  be  invested,  and  led 
them  up  to  the  altar.  B. 

INCANTATION.  A  singing  against;  that  is,  sing- 
ing a  set  form  of  words  to  bring  Divine  wrath 
upon  persons  or  nations.  B. 


36  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

INCULCATE.  To  stamp  into  with  the  heel.  (L. 
mculco,  inculcatus ;  in,  into;  calco,  to  tread; 
calx,  the  heel.)  B. 

INEXORABLE.  Not  to  be  moved  by  any  thing 
said.  (L.  in,  not;  ex,  out  of;  os,  oris,  the 
mouth.) 

INFAMOUS  means  not  allowed  to  speak  or  give 
witness  in  a  court  of  justice.  (L.  in,  negative; 
fori,  to  speak.)  B. 

INFANT.  Not  able  to  speak.  (L.  in,  not;  fans, 
from  for,  fari,  to  speak.) 

INGENUOUS.  Free  born,  of  good  birth.  (L. 
ingenuus.)  A.  L. 

INNUENDO.  An  implied  or  covert  hint  of  blame. 
It  is  a  law-term,  meaning  a  person  nodded  to 
(L.  innuo).  The  defendant  or  his  pleader, 
speaking  to  the  plaintiff,  would  say,  "  He,  innu- 
endo, did  so  and  so;"  i.e  ,  "He,  the  person  I 
nodded  to  or  referred  to  (viz.,  the  plaintiff),  did 
so  and  so."  B. 

INOCULATE  is  to  put  in  an  eye  (L.  in  oculis). 
The  allusion  is  to  a  plan  adopted  by  gardeners, 
who  insert  the  "  eye,"  or  small  bud,  of  a  supe- 
rior plant  into  the  stock  of  an  inferior  one,  in 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  37 

order  to  produce  flowers  or  fruit  of  a  better 

quality.  b. 

INSULT.     To  leap  on  the  prostrate  body  of  a  foe. 

(L.  insulin ;  in.  upon  ;  salio,  to  leap.)  B. 

INTELLECT.     The  power  to  read  mentally.     (L. 

i at ns.  legn,  I  read  within  me.)  B. 

INTERPOLATE.     To  furbish  up  here  and  there. 

(L.  interpolo.)  C. 

INTOXICATED.      Stricken  by  a  poisoned  arrow. 

From  Gr.  toxicnn,  a  poison  in  which  arrows  were 

dipped;  tnxnn,  an  arrow. 
ITALICS.      A   kind    of    types,  so   called   because 

dedicated    by    their    inventor    to    the    Italian 

States.  c. 

KICKSHAW.     Something  uncommon.     (Corr.  of 
Fr.  quelnue-chnse.') 

LADY.     One  who  serves  bread  to  the  family.     (A. 

S.  hlcef,  diije ;  hlcef,  a  loaf,  and  dugan,  dignn.  to 

serve.)  F.  a. 

LAUNDRY.     From  Fr.  lavandiere. 
LAVENDER.    An  odoriferous  plant,  so  called  from 

its  being  laid  with  newly  washed  clothes.     (Fr. 

lavunde.)  c. 


38  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

LEAF.  Before  the  invention  of  paper,  one  of  the 
substances  employed  for  writing  was  the  leaves 
of  certain  plants.  In  the  British  Museum  are 
some  writings  on  leaves  from  the  Malabar 
coast,  and  several  copies  of  the  Bible  written 
on  palm-leaves.  The  reverse  and  obverse  pages 
of  a  book  are  still  called  leaves ;  and  the  double 
page  of  a  ledger  is  called  folio,  from  folium,  a 
leaf.  £■ 

LENS.  So  called  from  its  likeness  to  a  lentil-seed. 
(L.  lens,  lends.)  C. 

LET  formerly  signified  to  hinder ;   thus  Hamlet:  — 

"  Unhand  ine,  gentlemen;  — 
By  heaven,  I'll  make  a  ghost  of  him  that  lets  me!" 
Hamlht,  Act  i.,  Sc.  4. 

LEWD.  Belonging  to  the  people  as  opposed  to 
the  clergy.     (A.  S.  Icewede,  leocl,  the  people  ) 

LIBEL  means  a  little  book  (L.  libellus).  Original- 
ly, it  meant  a  plaintiff's  statement  of  his  case  ; 
but  as  these  statements  "  defame  "  the  defend- 
ant, the  word  lapsed  to  its  present  usage.      B. 

LIBRARY.  The  ancients  used  to  write  upon  the 
rinds  (of  trees)  growing  under  the  upper  bark, 
to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  liber:  — 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  3<J 

"  Udoque  docent  inolescere  libro." 

Virg.  Georg.,  ii.  V". 

Whence  books  were  called  libri,  and  a  collection 

of  them  a  library.  Philoblbllon,  i.  100. 

LOBBY.     A  place  shaded  with  leaves  or  foliage 

(Lobbia,  low  Latin  ;  Ger.  laube.)  C. 

LOOM.     So  called  from   Sir  Thomas  Loom,  who 

erected  the  first  machine  for  weaving  raw  silk 

at  Derby  in  1725.  B. 

LORD.     The  word  is  a  contraction,  and  means  the 

bread-earner.     See  Lady.     (A.  S.  Ida/,  a  loaf  ; 

ord,  origin.)  C.    B. 

LUROH.     A  game  at  tables;  also  used  when  one 

party  gains  every  point  before  the  other  makes 

one;  hence  to  leave  in  the  lurch.  C. 

LYCEUM.     Gr.  lykeion,  from  the  temple  of  Apollo 

Lykeios,  the  wolf-slayer,  where  Aristotle  taught. 

(Lykos,  a  wolf.)  c. 


MAGIC.  The  science  of  the  magi,  or  Persian 
priests.  Plmy,  xxx.  i. 

MAGNESIA.  So  named  because  thought  to  pos- 
sess, like  the  magnet,  the  power  of  attracting 


40  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

any  principle  from  the  atmosphere  when   ex- 
posed to  it.  c. 

MAGNOLIA.  The  flower  was  so  named  after  M. 
Magnol  (1638-1715),  Professor  of  Botany  at 
Montpellier,  France.  if. 

.MASTODON.  An  extinct  animal  resembling  the 
elephant,  with  nipple-like  projections  on  if,s 
teeth.  (Gr.  mastos,  the  breast  of  a  woman ; 
orfons,  odontos,  a  tooth.)  jr. 

MAUDLIN.  Shedding  tears  of  penitence,  like  Mary 
Magdalen.  c. 

MAIDENHAIR.  The  Capillus  Veneris  of  Linnaeus. 
A  delicate  fern,  said  to  have  obtained  its  name 
from  the  use  by  maidens  of  a  mucilage  made 
from  it  for  stiffening  the  hair.  For  this  pur- 
pose, says  Pliny,  xxii.  30,  a  decoction  of  it  is 
made  in  wine  with  parsley-seed,  large  quanti- 
ties of  oil  being  added,  if  it  is  desired  to  make 
the  hair  thick  and  curly  as  well. 

MAIM.  Maiming  is  not  any  kind  of  wounding, 
but  such  wounding  as  lessens  a  man's  power  of 
battling  in  his  own  defence.  Tims  it  was  ruled, 
that  to  knock  out  a  man's  front  teeth  is  to 
maim  him,   but  that  he  is  not  maimed  by  a 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  41 

knocking  ont  of  a  grinder ;  because  with  a  front 
tooth  he  can  bite  and  tear  an  enemy,  but  with 
a  grinder  he  can  only  masticate  his  food. 

Allibone,  Quo.,  Sec.  Law,  p.  403. 

MAN.  The  being  that  thinks.  (Sans,  manu,  man, 
to  think).  C. 

MANOEUVRE.  Hand-work;  dexterous  manage- 
ment.    (L.  mantis;  Fr.  oeucre) 

MANUMIT.  To  send  away  from  one's  hand, 
or  power.  (L.  manus,  the  hand;  mitto,  to 
seud.)  A.  L. 

MARIGOLD.  So  called  in  honor  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  hence  the  introduction  of  marigold 
windows  in  lady-chapels.  B. 

MARTELLO.  A  circular  fort  ei'ected  to  protect 
the  coast,  so  called  because  the  approach  of  a 
pirate  ship  was  announced  by  striking  on  a  gong 
with  a  hammer.    (It.  martcllo,  a  hammer.)    w. 

MARTINET.  From  Martinet,  a  strict  disciplina- 
rian in  the  army  of  Louis  XIV. 

"  By  means  of  a  still  more  rigid  discipline,  the 
army  had  been  entirely  remodelled.  At  I  his 
time  there  were  no  inspectors  of  cavalry  and 
infantry  such  as  have  since  been  appointed  for 


-12  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

that  especial  work  ;  but  two  men,  each  remark- 
ably qualified  for  his  particular  duty,  undertook 
those  peculiar  functions. 

"  Martinet  placed  the  infantry  in  a  condition 
of  discipline  not  inferior  to  that  of  the  present 
day.  The  Chevalier  de  Fourilles  did  the  same 
for  the  cavalry." 

"  Une  discipline,  devenue  encore  plus  exacte, 
avait  mis  dans  l'armee  un  nouvel  ordre.  II  n'y 
avait  point  encore  d'inspecteurs  de  cavalerie  et 
d'infanterie,  comme  nous  en  avons  vu  depuis, 
mais  deux  homines  uniques  chacun  dans  leur 
genre  en  faisaient  les  fonctions. 

"  Martinet  mettait  alors  l'infanterie  sur  le 
pied  de  discipline  oil  elle  est  aujourd'hui.  Le 
Chevalier  de  Fourilles  faisait  le  ineme  charge 
dans  la  cavalerie." 

Voltaire,  Steele  de  Louis  XIV.,  i.  135.    Paris,  1819. 

MAXIM.     A  sentence  of  the  greatest  importance. 

(L.  maximus.) 
MEANDER.       From    a    winding     river    in    Asia 

Minor. 
MIDWIFE.     A    woman   who   acts    for   a  meed  or 

reward.     (A.  S.  med,  reward ;  icij]  woman.) 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  43 

MILLINER.  One  who  makes  head-dresses,  etc.; 
from  Milaner,  a  native  of  Milan,  which  was 
famous  for  its  manufactures  of  silks  and 
ribbons. 

MINIATURE.  Paintings  by  the  Miniatori,  a  set  of 
monks  noted  for  painting  with  minium,  or  red 
lead.  The  first  miniatures  were  the  initial  let- 
ters of  rubrics;  and,  as  the  head  of  the  Virgin 
or  some  other  saint  was  usually  introduced  into 
these  illuminated  letters,  the  word  came  to 
express  a  small  likeness.  ■&• 

MINUTE.  A  law-term  ;  a  rough  draught  of  a  pro- 
ceeding taken  down  in  minute  or  small  writing, 
which  is  afterwards  engrossed,  or  written  out 
in  large  writing.  &• 

MIRROR.  Something  wonderful.  (L.  miror,  to 
wonder  at.) 

MISCREANT.      A   man  who   believes  otherwise. 

The  word  acquired  its  moral  significance  from 

the  hatred  of  the  Saracens  which  accompanied 

the  Crusades. 

Mohamr.ied  and  Mohammedanism,  p.  59. 

MOB  is  from  the  Latin  mobilis,  signifying  mov- 
ableness,    which    is   the   characteristic    of    the 


44  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

multitude :  hence  Virgil's  mobile  vulgns.  This 
term,  therefore,  designates  not  only  what  is 
low,  but  what  is  tumultuous. 

Crabb'a  Eng.  Synon.,  p.  662. 

MONKEY.  An  old  woman.  (Old  It.  monnic- 
cltio  )  c. 

MOON.  That  which  measures  time.  (A.  S. 
mona.) 

MONTH.  (A.S.  monath.)  The  period  of  one  rev- 
olution of  the  moon. 

MUSCLE.  A  little  mouse.  (L.  musculus,  dim.  of 
mus,  a  mouse  ;  hence  a  muscle  of  the  body,  re- 
ferring to  its  appearance  beneath  the  skin.) 

A.  L.     a 

MUSIC.     The  art  over  which  the  Muses  presided. 

MUMMERY.  This  word  is  derived  from  the  pop- 
ular misconception  of  Mohammed,  concerning 
whom  the  most  ridiculous  statements  were 
solemnly  made  and  devoutly  believed  by  the 
Christians  of  the  Middle  Ages.  He  was  a 
demon,  a  false  god,  an  idol.  Human  sacrifices 
were  offered  to  him.  The  most  absurd  cere- 
monies were  attributed  to  his  worshippers ; 
hence  the  words  "mahomerie  "  in  French,  and 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  45 

"  mummery  "  in  English,  are  now  used  to  sig- 
nify absurd  or  superstitious  rites. 

Mohammed  ami  Mohammedanism,  p.  58  and  note. 

NAME.  That  by  which  we  know.  (Sans,  namdn, 
to  know.)  C. 

NASTURTIUM.  (L.  nasus-torqueo,  nasi-tortium.') 
That  which  causes  the  nose  to  twist.  It  has 
received  that  name  from  the  smarting  sensation 
which  its  pungency  causes  to  the  nostrils  ;  and 
hence  it  is  that  a  certain  notion  of  smartness 
has  attached  itself  to  the  word,  it  having  be- 
come quite  a  proverbial  saying,  that  a  sluggish 
man  should  eat  nasturtium  to  arouse  him  from 
his  torpidity.  Pliny,  six.  44. 

NAUSEA.     Sea-sickness;  from  Gr.  naus,  a  ship. 

NEFARIOUS.  Not  according  to  divine  law.  (L. 
nefas,  nefarius.)  A.  L. 

NETWORK.  Any  tiling  reticulated  or  decussated 
at  equal  distances,  with  interstices  between  the 
intersections.  J. 

NICE.  Ignorant,  foolish.  (Old  Fr.  nice,  foolish, 
simple ;  L.  nescius,  ignorant ;  ne,  not ;  scio,  to 
know  ;  Sp.  necio,  foolish.) 


4G  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

NICKNAME.  A  name  to  tease  with.  (Ger.  from 
neck-name ;  neck'en,  to  tease ;  name,  a  name. 
The  peculiar  significance  of  this  compound  is 
shown  by  the  relationship  of  necken  with 
Necken,  or  Nixen,  the  mischievous  and  mali- 
cious water-sprites.  See  Name,  Neck,  Nixen.) 
Sander's  Worterbuch  der  Deutschen  Sprache. 

NINCOMPOOP.  Not  of  sound  mind.  (Corr.  of 
L.  non  compos  mentis.') 

OATS.  A  grain  which  in  England  is  generally 
given  to  horses,  but  which  in  Scotland  supports 
the  people.  j. 

OGRE.  The  Hungarian  nation  belongs  to  the 
Ouigour  branch  of  the  great  Finnish  family. 
They  have  always  been  very  bellicose.  In  the 
ninth  and  tenth  centuries  they  were  ferocious. 
For  fifty  successive  years  they  bore  death, 
pillage,  and  devastation  throughout  Europe. 
During  a  space  of  forty-five  years,  France  alone 
was  invaded  eleven  times.  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  then,  that,  however  much  we  may 
sympathize  with  them  to-day,  they  then  inspired 
hatred  and  affright ;  that  they  passed  into  tra- 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  47 

dition  as  beings  of  a  fabulous  type,  and  that 
from  the  ancient  name  of  the  Hungarians, 
ouiffour,  or  ogour,  may  be  obtained  the  etymology 
of  those  ogres  which  have  occasioned  us  such 
fear  in  our  infancy. 

"  La  nation  hongroise  appartient  a  la  branche 
Ouigour  de  la  grande  famille  des  Finnois.  lis 
ont  tonjours  ete  tres-belliqueux  ;  aux  ixe  et  x* 
siecle  ils  etaient  feroces.  Cinquante  annees  de 
suite,  ils  porterent  la  mort,  le  pillage,  et  la  de- 
vastation dans  toute  l'Enrope.  En  quarante- 
cinq  ans,  la  France,  pour  sa  parte,  fut  envahie 
onze  fois.  Ce  n'est  done  pas  merveille,  si  autant 
elle  a  de  sympathies  pour  eux  aujourd'hui, 
autant  ils  lui  inspiraient  alors  de  haine  et 
d'effroi.  Ce  fut  au  point  qu'ils  passerent  dans 
les  rccits  populaires  a  l'etat  de  type  fabuleux,  et 
si  Ton  vent  se  reporter  a  l'ancien  nom  des 
Hongrois  ouigour,  ou  ogour,  on  aura  I'etymologie 
de  ces  ogres  qui  nous  out  fait  si  grand-peur  a 
tons  dans  notre  enfance." 

Curiosites  Philologiques,  pp.  83,  84. 

ONYX.    So  called  from  its  likeness  to  a  finger-nail 
in  color.     (Gr.  onyx,  a  finger-nail.) 


48  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

OPHICLEIDE.     A  serpent  with  keys.     (Gr.  ophis, 

a  serpent ;  kit  is,  kit  idos,  a  key.)  C. 

OPPORTUNE.     At   the   harbor.      (L.   ob,  partus, 

before  the  port  or  harbor.)  A.  L. 

ORDER.      Regular   arrangement.      The  word   is 

derived  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  a  row  of 

trees,  which  is  the  symbol  of  order. 

Crabb's  Eng.  Synon.,  p.  89. 

OVATION.  Among  the  Romans,  an  inferior  kind 
of  triumph  granted  to  a  general  who  had 
obtained  an  easy  victory ;  and  instead  of  bul- 
locks, a  sheep  (oris)  was  sacrificed,  whence  its 
name.  A.  R.  A.,  p.  267. 

OYES.  Corruption  of  Oijez  (Fr.),  hear  ye.  It 
is  the  introduction  to  any  proclamation  or  ad- 
vertisement given  by  the  public  criers,  both 
in  England  and  Scotland.  It  is  thrice  re- 
peated. J- 

This  word  is  a  relic  of  the  conquest  of  Eng- 
land by  the  Normans.  For  more  than  three 
hundred  years  after  that  event  all  the  pleadings 
and  judgments  in  the  courts  of  Westminster 
were  in  French,  or  Norman  French :  that  lan- 
guage, indeed,  had  so  firm  a  hold  upon  legal 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  49 

practitioners,  that  it  continued  to  be  voluntarily 
used  by  them  down  to  the  middle  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century.  Their  reports,  treatises,  and 
abridgments  are  in  French ;  and  if  we  would 
find  any  thing  in  Chief  Baron  Comyn's  Digest, 
composed  in  the  reign  of  George  II.,  about 
"  Highways,"  "  Tithes,"  or  "  Husband  and 
Wife,"  we  must  look  to  the  titles  "  Chemin," 
"  Dismes,"  and  "  Baron  and  Feme." 

More  remarkable,  however,  is  the  fact  that 
French  is  still  employed  by  the  different 
branches  of  the  English  Legislature  in  their 
intercourse  with  each  other.  Not  only  is  the 
royal  assent  given  to  the  bills  by  the  words 
"  La  reyne  le  veult,"  but,  when  either  House 
passes  a  bill,  there  is  an  indorsement  written 
upon  it,  "  Soit  baile  aux  seigneurs,"  or,  "  aux 
communes;"  and  at  the  beginning  of  every 
parliament  the  Lords  make  an  entry  in  their 
journals,  in  French,  of  the  appointment  of 
Receivers  and  Triers  of  Petitions,  not  only  for 
England,  bill  for  Gascony. 

i  'ampbeWs  Lives  of  Uui  Chancellors,  i.  241,  and  note. 


50  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

PAGE.  Originally  the  leaf  of  a  book,  so  called 
because  the  leaves  were  fastened  together  to 
form  a  book.     (L.  pagina,  the  thing  fastened.) 

PARLOR.    The  talking-room.    (Fr.  parloir.)    F.A. 

PATRON.  Commonly,  a  wretch  who  supports 
with  insolence,  and  is  paid  with  flattery.        J. 

If  you  are  in  retail  trade,  don't  call  your 
customers  your  patrons,  and  send  them  circulars 
asking  for  a  continuance  of  their  patronage ; 
unless  you  mean  to  say  that  they  buy  of  you, 
not  because  they  need  what  you  have  to  sell, 
but  merely  to  give  you  money,  and  that  you 
are  a  dependant  upon  their  favor. 

Words  and  Their  Uses,  p.  144. 

PEASANT.  A  countryman,  a  rustic.  (Fr.  paysan, 
pays,  the  country;  L.  pagtts,  a  district;  hence, 
pagan.) 

PARACHUTE.  An  apparatus  devised  for  descend- 
ing safely  from  a  balloon.  (Fr.  parer,  to  ward 
off;  chute,  a  fall.)  C. 

PARAFFINE.  Little  allied.  So  named  from  its 
resistance  to  combine  with  an  alkali.  (L.parum, 
little;  qffinis,  allied.)  C. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  51 

PALACE,  PALATIAL.  From  Palafciura,  one  of  the 
seven  hills  on  which  Rome  was  built,  and  where 
Augustus  had  his  residence.  A.  li.  A.,  p.  396. 

PAMPHLET.  Stitched  by  a  thread.  (Fr.  par  un 
filet.) 

PANSY.     The  flower  of  thought.     (Fr.  pense'e.) 

PECUNIARY.  The  worst  crime  against  mankind 
was  committed  by  him  who  was  the  first  to  put 
a  ring  upon  his  fingers ;  and  yet  we  are  not 
informed  by  tradition  who  it  was  that  first  did 
SO.  Pliny,  xxxiii.  4. 

The  next  crime  committed  against  the  wel- 
fare of  mankind  was  on  the  part  of  him  who 
was  the  first  to  coin  a  denarius  of  gold, —  a 
crime  the  author  of  which  is  equally  unknown. 
The  Roman  people  made  no  use  of  impressed 
silver  even  before  the  period  of  the  defeat  of 
King  Pyrrhus  (A.U.C.  478).  The  "as"  of 
copper  weighed  exactly  one  libra,  and  hence  it 
is  we  still  use  the  terms  "libella"  (meaning  the 
little  pound)  and  "dupondius"  (two  pounds). 
Hence  it  is,  too,  that  fines  and  penalties  are 
inflicted  under  the  name  of  "  ;es  grave,"  and 
tliat  the  words  still   used  in  keeping  accounts 


52  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

are  "expensa  "  (expenses),  "impendia  "  (money 
weighed  out  for  the  payment  of  interest),  and 
"dependere"  (to  weigh  out  money  for  payment). 
Hence,  too,  the  word  "stipendium"  (stipend), 

meaning  the  pay  of  the  soldiers,  which  is  noth- 
ing more  than  "  stipis  pondera  "  (a  weight  of 
money)  ;  and  from  the  same  source  these  other 
words,  "  dispensatores "  (weighers  out)  and 
"  libripendes  "  (paymasters).  It  is  also  from 
this  circum'stauce,  that,  in  the  sale  of  slaves,  at 
the  present  day  even,  the  formality  of  using  the 
balance  is  introduced. 

King  Servius  (578  B.C.)  was  the  first  to 
make  an  impress  upon  copper.  Before  his 
time,  according  ,to  Timseus,  at  Rome  the  raw 
metal  only  was  used.  The  form  of  a  sheep  (in 
Latin,  pecus~)  was  the  first  figure  impressed 
upon  money,  and  to  this  fact  it  owes  its  name, 

"  pecunia."  Pliny,  xxxiii.  13. 

PENSION.  In  England,  it  is  generally  understood 
to  mean  pay  given  to  a  state  hireling  for  treason 
to  his  country.  J. 

PEONY.  From  Gr.  Paion,  Apollo,  who  used  this 
plant  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  gods. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  53 

"The  plant  known  as  pceonia  is  the  most 
ancient  of  them  all.  It  still  retains  the  name 
of  him  who  'was  the  first  to  discover  it." 

Pliny,  xxv.  10. 

"  Where  r.Ton,  sprinkling  heavenly  halm  around, 
•    Assuag'd    the   glowing  pangs,    and    clos'd    the 
wound."  Pope,  Iliad,  v.  489,  490. 

PERFUME.  Odorous  smoke.  (L.  per,  through; 
famus,  smoke.)  O. 

PETREL.  A  little  sea-bird,  which  in  flying,  often 
touches  the  water  with  its  feet;  so  called  in 
allusion  to  St.  Peter's  walking  on  the  sea.     G. 

PHAETON.  A  kind  of  open  carriage  on  four 
wheels;  a  low  buggy;  named  after  Phaeton, 
the  fabled  son  of  Helios,  whose  chariot  he 
attempted  to  drive. 

PHOSPHORUS.  The  light-bearer.  The  morn- 
ing star.      (Gr.  phos,  light;  phero,  to  bear.) 

PREDICATE.  To  any  one  who  knows  what  predi- 
cate means,  it  is  difficult  to  apprehend  the  con- 
dition of  mind  of  a  man  who  talks  about  predi- 
cating an  action  upon  any  thing.  To  predicate 
means,  in  simple  words,  merely  to  say;  or,  to 
use  larger  words,  to  utter,  to  declare.     A  verb 


54  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

and  the  words  which  accompany  and  modify  it 
are  the  predicate  of  a  sentence,  because  they 
say  something,  declare  something,  of  the  sub- 
ject and  about  the  object.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  there  is  not  the  remotest  connection,  meta- 
phorical or  otherwise,  between  the  real  meaning 
of  predicate  and  that  which  is  so  commonly 
given  to  it  in  this  country. 

Every-Day  English,  p.  392. 

PREPOSTEROUS.  (L.  pnv,,  before  ;  poslerus, 
after.)  Having  that  first  which  ought  to  be 
last;  therefore,  unreasonable,  foolish.        A.  L. 

PRESTIGE.  This  word  has  a  strangely  metamor- 
phosed meaning.  The  Latin  prcestigice  means 
juggling- tricks,  hence  the  French  for  a  juggler 
is  prestidigiiateur.  AVe  use  the  word  for  that 
favorable  impression  which  results  from  good 
antecedents.  The  history  of  the  change  is 
this:  Juggling-tricks  were  once  considered  a 
sort  of  enchantment ;  to  enchant  is  to  charm, 
and  to  charm  is  to  win  the  heart.  B. 

PREVENT  was  formerly  used  in  the  sense  of  to  go 
before;  thus  :  — 

'  Prevent  us,  O  Lord  I  in  all  our  doings,"  etc. 
Eng.  Common  Prayer  Book. 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  OO 

POPINJAY.     A  babbling  cock.     (Ger.  papaffei,  a 

parrot.) 
PORTE.     So  called  from  the  gate  of  the  Sultan's 

palace,  where  justice  was  administered. 
PREVARICATE.      To    walk    with    the   legs   wide 

apart.  A.  k.  A.,  p.  179. 

••  The    ploughman,    unless   he   stoops   to   his 

work,  is  sure  to  prevaricate,  a  word  which  has 

been   transferred   to  the   Forum,  as  a  censure 

upon  those  who  transgress  "  Pliny,  xviif.  49. 

PROVIDE  means  to  foresee.     (L.  provideo,  to  see 

forward,  in  the  distance.)  A.L. 

PSALM.     Tlie  twanging  of  a  stringed  instrument. 

((Jr.  psallo,  to  twang.)  C. 

PUG.     A  puck  or  goblin,  from  the  root  of  bug; 

puce  (Fi\),  a  flea,  from  the  same  root. 
PULPIT.     The  stage  for  the  actors  in  the  Roman 

theatre.     (L. pulpitum.)  A. B.  A.,  p.  243. 

PUNCH.     A  beverage  of  five  ingredients, — spirit, 

water,    sugar,    lemon-juice,   and   spice.     (Sans. 

panckaka,  four  or  five)  ft 

PUPA.     A  baby;    an  insect  enclosed  in  its   case 

before  its  full  development ;  hence  pupil,  a  little 

boy  or  girl ;    and  pupil  of  the  eye,  from  the 

baby-like  figures  seen  therein.  ft 


oG  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

PYGMY.  Tim  fist,  the  distance  from  the  elbow 
to  the  knuckles,  thirteen  and  a  half  inches. 
(Gr.  pugme.)  L.  <fc  8. 

QUARANTINE.     The  time,  originally  forty  days, 
during  which  an  infected  ship  is  obliged  to  for- 
bear intercourse  with  the  shore. 
QUIBBLE.     Lit.,  what  you  please.     (L.  quidlibet.) 
QUINSY.     A   dog  throttling.     (Gr.   kyon,  a   dog, 
and  ancho,  to  press  tight.)  C. 

RABBLE.  A  brawling  mob.  From  L.  rabula,  a 
wrangling  advocate,  a  pettifogger.  A.  L. 

RECIPE  (L  )  means  take.  In  prescriptions,  the 
first  letter  only  is  written,  B.  This  character 
was  originally  the  same  as  %,  the  symbol  of 
Jupiter,  and  was  placed  at  the  top  of  a  formula 
to  propitiate  the  king  of  the  gods,  that  the  com- 
pound might  act  favorably.  W. 

RECREANT.  One  who  changes  his  belief.  (L. 
re-crcdo,  to  retract.) 

REMIT.     From  the  Latin  remittere,  to  send  back. 

"  Why  one  man  should  say  to  another,  I  will 

remit  you  the  money,  instead  of,  I  will  send  you 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  57 

the  money,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say,  did  we 
not  so  frequently  see  the  propensity  of  people 
for  a  big  word  of  which  they  do  not  know  the 
meaning  exactly,  in  preference  to  a  small  one 
that  they  have  understood  from  childhood. 
This  leads  people,  in  the  present  instance,  to 
speak  even  of  sending  remittances,  than  which 
it  would  be  hard  to  find  an  absurder  phrase." 
Words  «»<?  Their  Uses,  pp.  151, 152. 

REMORSE.  To  bite  again.  (L.  remordeo,  remor- 
sum,  to  bite  again  )  So  also  morsel,  a  bite  or 
mouthful  (L.  morsus).  A.  L. 

REVE  or  REEVE.  A  steward,  governor,  or  over- 
seer. Thus  reve,  a  steward,  and  chirch-reeoe,  a 
church-warden,  are  found  in  Chaucer  ;  and  thus, 
to-day,  hoij-reeves,  deer-reeves,  and  shire-reeves, 
or  sheriffs. 

ROSTRUM.  An  erection  for  public  speakers  in 
the  Forum,  adorned  with  the  figure-heads  or 
beaks  of  ships  taken  in  war.     From  L.  rostra. 

A.  A".  A.,  p.  55. 

RUBRIC.  The  titles  and  heads  of  laws,  a.s  the 
titles  and  beginnings  of  books,  used  to  be 
written   with   vermilion ;    hence   Rubrica   (red 


58  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

ochre)  is  put  for  the  civil  law,  and  honce  the 
use  of  it.  in  the  -Middle  Ages,  a  reminiscence  of 
which  still  exists  in  our  word  rubric. 

A.  It.  A.,  p.  151.    A.  I..    P.,  xxxiii.,  40  and  note. 
F.  A.,  i.  235,  note. 
RUMMAGE.     To  search  the  roomage,  or  space,  in 
which  things  are  stored. 


SALARY.     Of  or  belonging  to  salt.     Money  given 
to  the  soldiers  for  salt.     (L.  solarium.')      A-  /-. 

Salt  was  held  in  great  veneration  by  the 
ancients.  It  was  always  used  in  sacrifices; 
thus  also  Moses  ordained, — 

"  With  all  thine  offerings  thou  shalt  offer  salt." 

Lev.  ii.  13. 

Thus,  to  set  salt  before  a  stranger  was,  and  still 
is,  by  some  Eastern  nations  reckoned  a  symbol 
of  friendship;  and  to  spill  the  salt  at  table 
was  esteemed  ominous.  The  desire  to  obtain 
means  for  the  purchase  of  salt  gave  rise  to  the 
word  solarium,  salary.  .1.  /.'.  A.,  p.  312. 

SAMPHIRE.      Lit.   the  herb  of   St.  Peter.      (Fr. 
Saint  Pierre.) 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  59 

SARCASM.  From  Gr.  sarcasmos  and  sarMzo  and 
sarx,  flesh  ;  signifying  biting  or  nipping  satire, 
so,  as  it  were,  to  tear  the  flesh.      C.  E.  s.,  p.  720. 

SARCOPHAGUS.  Gr.  ///W,  s&rco-phagos,  a  lime- 
stone, which,  like  slacked  lime,  consumed  animal 
substances ;  wherefore  coffins  were  often  made 
of  it.  L.  &  S. 

SAUNTER.  From  Fr.  sainte  terre,  in  the  phrase 
alter  a  la  sainte  terre,  to  go  to  the  holy  land ; 
from  idle  people  who  roved  about  the  country, 
and  asked  charity  under  pretence  of  going  a  la 
saintt  terre,  to  the  holy  land.  W. 

SAXIFRAGE,  it  is  of  singular  efficacy  in  expel- 
ling and  breaking  calculi  of  the  bladder,  and 
has  therefore  received  the  name  of  saxifragum 
(stone-breaking).  Pliny,  xxii.  30. 

SCAMPER.  To  run  out  of  a  field.  Escamper. 
(L.  ex,  out  of  ;  campus,  a  field.)  c. 

SCHOOL.  Leisure  for  learning.  (L.  schola,  spare 
time  )  A.  /.. 

SCHOLIUM.  One  of  the  notes  written  by  the 
old  critics  on  the  margins  of  ancient  clas- 
sics, so  called  because  done  in  their  leisure 
time. 


GO  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

SECURE.  Without  care.  (L.  se  for  sine,  without; 
cum,  care.)  A.  L. 

SCORN  is  to  dishorn,  through  the  Kalian  scomare, 
to  break  off  the  horns. 

In  the  East,  the  horn  was  worn  as  an  orna- 
ment on  the  forehead;  and  to  lower  the  horn 
was  emblematical  of  sorrow,  but  to  take  it  away 
was  a  disgrace  and  dishonor.  B.    J.  &  G. 

SCRUPULOUS  means  literally  having  a  stone  in 
one's  shoe.  (L.  scrupulus,  a  small,  sharp,  or 
pointed  stone.)  Those  who  have  a  stone  in 
their  shoe  halt,  and  those  who  doubt  "halt 
between  two  opinions."  B.    A.  L. 

SILHOUETTE.      Shadow   outline  of    the   human 

figure,  so  named  from  Silhouette,  a  minister  in 

the  French  Government,  after  whom  every  thing 

cheap  was  named,  from  his  excessive  economy 

in  official  matters.  C.     W. 

Thus  we  have  .silhouette  portraits :  the  word  is 

permanent,  though  it  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 

Dictionary  of  the  Academy. 

Biographic  Uhiverselle,  art.  "Silhouette,"  and  note, 
tome  xlii.  349. 

SILLY  is  the  German  selirj  (blessed),  whence  the 

infant  Jesus   is   termed   "the    harmless,   silly 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  61 

babe;"  and  sheep  are  called  "silly,"  meaning 
harmless  or  innocent.  As  the  "holy"  are  easily 
taken  in  by  worldly  cunning,  the  word  came  to 
signify  "gullible,"  "foolish."  B. 

Tyrwhitt,  in  his  Glossary  of  the  "Canterbury 
Tales,"  gives  "harmless"  as  the  signification 
of  "silly." 

SINCERE.  From  the  Latin  sine  cera,  without 
wax :  which  Webster  says  perhaps  means  pure 
honey.  The  meaning  given  by  Brewer,  how- 
ever, is  more  probable :  he  says,  "  The  allusion 
is  to  the  Roman  practice  of  concealing  flaws  in 
pottery  with  wax.  A  sound  and  perfect  speci- 
men was  sine  cera  (sincere)." 

SIRLOIN.  A  title  given  to  the  loin  of  beef,  which 
one  of  our  kings  knighted  in  a  fit  of  good 
humor.  J- 

SPECULATE  means  to  look  out  of  the  window. 
(L.  specula,  a  look-out,  a  watch-tower.)    A.L. 

Under  the  first  emperors,  windows  were  con- 
trived of  a  certain  transparent  stone,  called 
lapis  speculates,  which  might  be  split  into  thin 
leaves,  like  slate,  but  not  above  five  feet  long 
each.  A.  Ii.  A.,  p.  375. 


62  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

STALWART.  A  stalwart  yeoman  means  one  worth 
stealing  or  taking.  (Saxon  stall  weorth.)  Of 
course,  the  reference  is  to  war,  and  means  a  tine 
fellow  worth  making  captive.  B. 

STATIONERS.  It  is  believed  by  our  antiquaries, 
that  stationers  derived  their  denomination  from 
their  fixed  locality  or  station  in  a  street,  either 
by  a  shop  or  shed.  This  denomination  of  sta- 
tioners, indicating  their  stationary  residence, 
would  also  distinguish  them  from  the  itinerant 
vendors,  who,  in  a  more  subordinate  capacity  at 
a  later  period,  appear  to  have  hawked  about  the 
town  and  the  country,  pamphlets  and  other 
portable  books. 

If Israeli's  Amenities  of  Literature,  ii.  378,  379. 

STENTORIAN.      Like   the   voice   of    the    herald 

Stentor,  mentioned  by  Homer. 
STOIC.     A  disciple  of  Zeno,  who  taught  under  a 

porch  at  Athens.     (Gr.  stoikos,  stoa,  a  porch.) 
STUPID.     In  a  stupor.     (L.  stupidus.)  a.l. 

SUBJUGATE.    To  bring  under  the  yoke.     (L.  sub, 

under  ;  jugum,  a  yoke.) 
SUFFOCATE.    To  put  something  under  the  throat. 

(L.  suffoco;  sub,  under;  faux,  faucis,  fauces,  the 

throat.) 


FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS.  63 

SUPERCILIOUS.  A  lifting  up  of  the  eyebrows. 
(L.  super,  above ;  cilium,  eyelid.) 

SUPPLICATION,  among  the  Romans,  meant  a 
religious  solemnity,  either  by  way  of  thanks- 
giving or  humiliation. 

.1.  A'.  A.,  212,  263,  n.      A.  L.  (snpplicatio). 

SWINDLE.  From  the  Ger.  schioindeln,  to  cheat. 
It  originally  meant  those  artifices  employed  by 
a  tradesman  to  prop  up  his  credit  when  it  began 
to  totter,  in  order  to  prevent  bankruptcy.     B. 

SYCOPHANT.  The  Athenians  passed  a  law  for- 
bidding the  exportation  of  figs  from  Attica; 
and  those  persons  who  informed  against  vio- 
lators of  this  law  were  known  as  sycophants, 
from  Gr  sykophantes;  sykon,  a  fig,  and  phaind, 
to  bring  to  light.  B. 

TALLY.  The  tally  used  in  the  Exchequer  was  a 
rod  of  wood,  marked  on  one  face  with  notches 
corresponding  to  the  sum  for  which  it  was  an 
acknowledgment.  Two  other  sides  contained 
the  date,  the  name  of  the  payer,  and  so  on. 
The  rod  was  then  cleft  in  such  a  manner  that 
each  half  contained  one  written  side  and  half 


•'•1  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

of  every  notch.  One  part  was  kept  in  the  Ex- 
chequer, and  the  other  was  circulated.  When 
payment  was  required,  the  two  parts  were  com- 
pared, and  if  they  "tallied,"  or  made  a  tally, 
all  was  right :  if  not,  there  was  some  fraud,  and 
payment  was  refused. 

Tallies  were  not  abandoned  in  the  English 
Exchequer  till  1834.  b. 

The  Roman  symbolum  was  identical  with  the 
tally.  "Individuals  used  anciently  to  have  a 
tally  (Tessera  hospitalilatis),  or  piece  of  wood 
cut  into  two  parts,  of  which  each  party  kept 
one."  A.  R.  A.,  m. 

Olaus  Wormius  has  given  a  representation  of 
the  tallies  used  by  the  ancient  Danes,  of  which 
each  party  kept  one.  f.  a.,  i.  336. 

TANTALIZE.  Tantalus  was  a  king  of  Lydia,  and 
father  of  Niobe  and  Pelops.  He  is  represented 
by  the  poets  as  being  in  the  infernal  regions, 
placed  in  a  pool  of  water  which  flowed  from 
him  whenever  he  attempted  to  drink,  thus 
causing  him  perpetual  thirst;  hence  the  origin 
of  the  term  "tantalizing." 

Ilan.  Class.  Die,  p.  110. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  65 

TARIFF.  The  word  is  derived  from  Tarifa,  a  sea- 
port of  Spain,  about  twenty  miles  from  Gibral- 
tar, where  the  Moors,  during  their  supremacy 
in  Spain,  levied  contributions  according  to  a 
certain  scale  on  vessels  entering  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea.  b. 

TATTOO,  or  "  Taps."  A  beat  of  drum  and  a 
bugle-call  to  warn  soldiers  to  repair  to  their 
quarters.  Originally  to  shut  the  taps,  or  drink- 
ing-houses,  against  the  soldiers.  (Dutch,  taptoe  ; 
tap,  a  tap;  toe,  to  shut.)  c. 

TAWDRY.  At  the  annual  fair  of  St.  Audrey,  in 
the  Isle  of  Ely,  showy  lace,  called  St.  Audrey's 
lace,  was  sold,  and  gave  foundation  to  our  word 
"tawdry."  B.     F.A.,i.33G. 

TELLER.  The  official  who  receives  and  pays 
money  in  a  bank.  The  name  is  derived  from 
tallier,  the  designation  which  was  applied  to  the 
functionary  who  compared  the  tallies,  and  paid 
the  amounts  due  upon  them  in  the  English  Ex- 
chequer.    (See  Tally.)  F.  A.,  i.  336. 

TERGIVERSATION.  A  turning  of  the  back. 
(L.  tergutn,  the  back;  versor,  versatum,  verto,  to 
turn.)  A.  L. 


G6  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

TERMAGANT.  A  supposed  Mahometan  deity, 
represented  in  the  old  moralities  as  of  a  most 
violent  character. 

Mohammed  mn'  Mohammedanism,  p.  59,  note. 

TERRIER.  A  dog  that  pursues  animals  to  their 
earth,  or  burrow.     (L.  terra,  the  earth.)        C. 

TORY.  "The  bogs  of  Ireland  at  the  same  time 
(1 670-1 G80)  afforded  a  refuge  for  popish  out- 
laws, much  resembling  those  who  were  after- 
wards known  as  Whiteboys,  and  these  men  were 
then  called  Tories.  The  name  of  Tory  was 
therefore  given  to  Englishmen  who  refused  to 
concur  in  excluding  a  Roman-Catholic  prince 
from  the  throne."         Macaulay,  Hint.  E>tg.,\.  192. 

TRAGEDY.  It  had  its  name,  according  to  Horace, 
from  Gr.  tragos,  a  goat ;  ode,  a  song ;  because  a 
goat  was  the  prize  of  the  person  who  produced 
the  best  poem,  or  was  the  best  actor;  to  which 
Virgil  alludes,  Eel.  iii.  22.  According  to 
others,  because  such  a  poem  wTas  acted  at  the 
festival  of  Bacchus  after  vintage,  to  whom  a 
goat  was  then  sacrificed,  as  being  the  destroyer 
of  the  vines ;  and  therefore  it  was  called  trago- 
dia,  the  goat's  song. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  67 

Thespis,  a  native  of  Attica,  is  said  to  have  been 
the  inventor  of  tragedy,  about  five  hundred  and 
thirty-six  years  before  Christ.  lie  went  about 
■with  his  actors  from  village  to  village  in  a  cart, 
on  which  a  temporary  stage  was  erected,  where 
they  played  and  sung,  having  their  faces  be- 
smeared with  the  lees  of  wine ;  whence,  accord- 
ing to  some,  the  name  of  tragedy  (from  trur, 
urjos,  new  wine  not  refined,  or  the  lees  of  wine ; 
ados,  a  singer).  This,  however,  was  done  by 
the  actors  as  a  ludicrous  disguise,  and  after- 
wards, when  their  performance  assumed  a  more 
regular  character,  was  known  by  the  name  of 
kdmddia,  whence  Comedy,  A.  R-  A.,  237.  L.  &  s. 
TRANSPIRE.  Of  all  misused  words,  this  verb  is 
probably  the  most  perverted.  It  is  now  very 
commonly  used  for  the  expression  of  a  mode  of 
action  with  which  it  has  no  relations  whatever. 
Its  common  abuse  is  due  solely  to  the  blunder 
of  persons  who  used  it  although  they  were 
ignorant  of  its  meaning,  at  which  they  gneseed. 
Transpire  means  to  breathe  through,  and  so  to 
pass  off  insensibly.  The  identical  word  exists 
in  French,  in  which  language  it  is  the  equiva- 


68  FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS. 

lent  of  our  perspire,  which  also  means  to  breathe 
through,  and  so  to  pass  off  insensibly.  The 
Frenchman  says,  J'ai  beaucoup  transpire,  —  "I 
have  much  perspired."  In  fact,  transpire  and 
perspire,  are  etymologically  as  nearly  perfect 
synonymes  as  the  nature  of  language  permits  : 
the  latter,  however,  has,  by  common  consent, 
been  set  apart  in  English  to  express  the  passage 
of  a  watery  secretion  through  the  skin ;  while 
the  former  is  properly  used  only  in  a  figurative 
sense,  to  express  the  passage  of  knowledge 
from  a  limited  circle  to  publicity. 

Words  and  Their  Uses,  pp.  163-lfiS. 

TRUMP.     The  card  that  triumphs  or  wins.       C. 


UMBRELLA.  A  little  shade.  (Dim.  of  L.  umbra, 
shade.) 

UNDULATE.  To  move  like  the  waves.  (L.  unda, 
a  wave.)  The  compounds  of  unda  express  in 
various  ways  the  movement  of  waves.  Abun- 
dant, a  wave  rising  above  the  plane  surface  of 
the  water.  Redundant,  to  flow  over  with  great 
abundance  of  water,  or  to  inundate.  A.  L. 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  09 

URCHIN  is  a  little  ore  (ore-kin;  Dutch  urk,  urkjen). 
The  ovc  is  a  sea-monster  that  devours  men  and 
"women  :  the  ore-kin,  or  little  ork,  is  the  hedge- 
hog, supposed  to  be  a  sprite,  or  mischievous 
little  imp.  B. 

USHER.  There  are  several  kinds  of  ushers:  1st, 
a  schoolmaster's  assistant ;  2d,  a  doorkeeper ; 
and  3d,  a  gentleman  usher,  or  modern  footman. 
(Fr.  huissier.)  A  whole-length  picture  of  the 
last  is  given  in  "  Lenton's  Leasures,"  1G31 :  — 

"  A  Gentleman  Usher  is  a  spruce  fellow  be- 
longing to  a  gay  lady,  whose  footsteps,  in  times 
of  yore,  his  lady  followed,  for  he  went  before. 
But  now  he  has  grown  so  familiar  with  her, 
that  they  go  arm  in  arm.  His  great  vexation 
is  going  upon  sleevelesse  errands,  to  know 
whether  some  lady  slept  well  last  night,  or  how 
her  physick  worked  in  the  morning,  things  that 
savour  nut  well  with  him.  The  reason  that 
of  times  he  goes  but  to  the  next  tavern,  and 
then  very  discreetly  brings  her  home  a  tale  of 
a  tubbe.  He  is  forced  to  stand  bare ;  which 
would  urge  him  to  impatience  but  for  the  hope 
of  being  covered,  or  rather  the  delight  he  takes 


70  FORGOTTEN  meanings. 

iii  showing  his  new  crispt  haire,  which  his 
barber  hath  caused  to  stand  like  a  print  hedge 
in  equal  proportion.  lie  hath  one  commenda- 
tion among  the  rest  (a  neat  carvef),  and  will 
quaintly  administer  a  trencher,  in  due  season. 
His  wages  is  not  much,  unless  his  quality 
exceeds.  But  his  vailes  are  great;  insomuch 
that  he  totally  possesseth  the  gentlewoman,  and 
commands  the  chamber-maide  to  starch  him 
into  the  bargaine.  The  smallness  of  his  legs 
bewrays  his  profession,  and  feeds  much  upon 
veale  to  increase  his  calfe.  His  great  ease  is 
that  he  may  lie  long  in  bed,  and  when  hee's 
up  may  call  for  his  breakfast,  and  goe  without 
it.  A  twelvemonth  hath  almost  worn  out  his 
habit,  which  his  annual  pension  will  scarcely 

Supply."  JP.  X,  i.  409,  470. 

VARLET.     Varlet  old  French,  now  valet.  J- 

VANDALISM.     As  applied  to  the  Vandals,  Menzel 

(Gesch.  d.  Deutsch.,  i.  110,  111)  thinks  the  word 

a  misnomer. 
VOLUME.     When  the  ancients  had  much  to  write, 

leaves   or   skins   were   sewed   together,   wound 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  71 

round  a  stick,  and  termed  volumina;   whence 
volume  and  voluminous.  F.  A.,  i.  234. 

VERNACULAR.  The  slaves  who  were  born  in  the 
houses  of  their  masters  were  called  vernaculi; 
hence  lingua  vernacula,  v.  aris,  one's  mother 
tongue.  A.  B.  A.,  p.  24. 

VILLAIN.     A  serf  attached  to  a  farm  or  villa.   B. 

VINDICATE,  to  justify,  has  a  remarkable  etymon. 
Vindicius  was  a  slave  of  the  Yitelli  who  in- 
formed the  Senate  of  the  conspiracy  of  the 
sons  of  Junius  Brutus  to  restore  Tarquin,  for 
which  service  he  was  rewarded  with  liberty ; 
hence  the  rod  with  which  a  slave  was  struck  in 
manumission  was  called  Vindicta,  a  Vindicius 
rod ;  and  to  set  at  liberty  was  called  by  the 
Romans  vindicare  in  Ubertatem. 

B.     A.  B.  A.,  27,  and  not*. 

WHIG.  "In  Scotland,  some  of  the  persecuted 
Covenanters,  driven  mad  by  oppression,  had 
lately  murdered  the  primate,  had  taken  arms 
against  the  government,  had  obtained  some 
advantages  against  the  king's  forces,  and  had 
not  been  put  down  until  Monmouth,  at  the 


72  FORGOTTEN   MEANINGS. 

head  of  some  troops  from  England,  had  routed 
them  at  Bothwel]  bridge. 

"These  zealots  were  most  numerous  among 
the  rustics  of  the  western  lowlands,  who  were 
vulgarly  called  Whigs.  Thus  the  appellation 
of  Whig  was  fastened  on  the  Presbyterian  zeal- 
ots of  Scotland,  and  was  transferred  to  those 
English  politicians  who  showed  a  disposition  to 
oppose  the  Court,  and  to  treat  Protestant  non- 
conformity with  indulgence." 

Macaulay,  Ifixt.  Eng.,  i.  192. 

WOOLSACK.  The  cushions  upon  which  the  Lord 
Chancellor  and  judges  sit  in  the  House  of 
Lords. 

It  is  claimed,  on  the  one  hand,  that  as  wool 
was  the  staple  commodity  of  England,  wool- 
sacks were  placed  in  the  seats  of  the  Lord 
Chancellor  and  the  judges  that  they  might  con- 
stantly bear  that  fact  in  mind.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  are  not  wanting  those  who  perceive 
a  deeper  allusion,  an  evident  connection  indeed 
with  the  pulvinaria  of  the  ancient  Romans, 
those  splendid  cushioned  couches  which  were 
prepared  by  them  for  the  gods,  or  for  thu  per- 


FORGOTTEN  MEANINGS.  73 

sons  who  received  divine  honors.  "  But  I  be- 
lieve," says  Lord  Campbell,  to  the  disgust  of 
all  antiquaries,  "  that  in  the  rude  simplicity  of 
early  times  a  sack  of  wool  was  frequently  used 
as  a  sofa,  —  when  the  judges  sat  on  a  hard 
wooden  Bench,  and  the  advocates  stood  behind 
a  rough  wooden  rail,  called  the  Bar." 

Lives  of  the  Lord  Chancellors,  i.  p.  16. 


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